Book Recommendation -The Lost Story of Via Belle

 

Melanie Dobson is well known for her stirring dual timeline novels, with wonderful character development, a page-turning mystery, a faith-filled redemptive story line and just a hint of romance. This story was no different and was one of my favorites of hers! Here's a bit about the book:

Searching for a story to adapt for film, an aspiring screenwriter becomes captivated by a bestselling classic novel and the mysterious disappearance of the woman who wrote it.

1940. Via Belle’s sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via’s reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.

2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother’s favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve—she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she’ll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.

Described as a “powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction” (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.

• Standalone dual-timeline historical mystery filled with drama, faith, and intrigue
• Clean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, or Patti Callahan Henry
• Includes discussion questions for book groups

This book releases April 14, 2026. Check it out from your favorite place to buy books! For more information, check out the following links:

Melanie Dobson's website: https://melaniedobson.com/

Melantie Dobson's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MelanieDobsonFiction

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8299799339

Book Recommendation - The Bookshop of 99 Doors

 

Jaime Jo Wright holds the market on dual timeline mysteries with a gothic feel and spooky stories with real people facing real issues within. I enjoy how she weaves some deeper issues of the human condition in each of her mysteries and how the answers to those mysteries point the way to God. This most recent story of hers is no different. Though the focus is more on "ghosts" in this book than many others, it is much less intense and therefore doesn't have the same "creepy" feeling to it, so it's one I would recommend new fans start with if they are leery of a Jaime Jo Wright story. Here's a bit about the book:

In 1910, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the onslaught of superstitions that envelope the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the house is haunted by the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain, and worried by her father's rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home's dark past in an effort to help bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie's own sanity.

In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss's dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother's team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door--a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion--results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to unravel the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.

A shadowy tale of historical hauntings and present-day mysteries masterfully penned by acclaimed thriller author Jaime Jo Wright, who is "in a class by herself" (Library Journal).

This book releases April 7, 2026. Be sure to check it out wherever books are sold! For more information, check out the following links:

Jaime Jo Wright's website: https://www.jaimewrightbooks.com/

Jaime Jo Wright's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JaimeJoWright

My full 5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8271819559

Book Recommendation - The Lumber Baron's Wife

 

Lynn Austin has long been one of my favorite authors. She writes wonderful characters amidst a heartfelt and lovely story in all of her books. She writes in several genres, but my favorites of hers have been her dual timeline novels as hers were the first of that genre I ever read. This one is such a book and currently holds the title of favorite book this year! Here's a bit about the book:

When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin.

1873. After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she’d leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy, a friend of her husband, John, offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John’s skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate Abernathy, Henry’s spirited, much younger wife. Kate’s sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town’s elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it’s clear her marriage is not what it seems . . . and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home—built in the 19th-century for a doctor and his wife—Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy’s disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.

Standalone historical fiction about marriage, grief, and the power of female friendships from the author of All My Secrets and Long Way HomeA richly layered Christian women’s fiction novel with elements of mystery, perfect for fans of Martha Hall Kelly, Kristy Cambron, and Susan Meissner. Includes discussion questions for book clubs

This book releases April 14, 2026. Be sure to check it out! For more information, check out the following links:

Lynn Austin's website: https://lynnaustin.org/

Lynn Austin's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LynnAustinBooks

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7912488316